Henry Ernest Dudeney/Puzzles and Curious Problems/41 - Ancient Problem/Solution
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Puzzles and Curious Problems by Henry Ernest Dudeney: $41$
- Ancient Problem
- Demochares has lived one-fourth of his life as a boy;
- one-fifth as a youth;
- one-third as a man;
- and has spent thirteen years in his dotage.
- How old is this gentleman?
Solution
Demochares is $60$ years old.
This is epigram $127$ of book $\text {XIV}$ of The Greek Anthology.
Contemporary middle-aged readers may object to the definition of "dotage" as starting at age $47$.
Sources
- 1932: Henry Ernest Dudeney: Puzzles and Curious Problems ... (previous) ... (next): Solutions: $41$. -- Ancient Problem
- 1968: Henry Ernest Dudeney: 536 Puzzles & Curious Problems ... (previous) ... (next): Answers: Age Puzzles: $36$. Ancient Problem